Krishna returns with the cowherds to Braj, from a Bhagavata Purana (c. 1830): Art, History and Details

Krishna returns with the cowherds to Braj, from a Bhagavata Purana (c. 1830) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The painting is based on Chapter 14 of Book 10 of the Bhagavata Purana in which the god Brahma hides the cowherds and calves of Krishna. After realizing his mistake and witnessing the divine prowess of Krishna, Brahma extols Krishna and returns to his abode while Krishna and his fellow cowherds enjoy a hearty meal and then return to Braj.

Object facts

• Title: Krishna returns with the cowherds to Braj, from a Bhagavata Purana
• Date: c. 1830
• Culture: Northern India, Pahari kingdoms
• Type: Painting
• Technique: Gum tempera and ink on paper
• Dimensions: Overall: 22 x 33 cm (8 11/16 x 13 in.)
• Collection: Indian Art
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 1971.301

A detail from the museum

On the left the scene of the picnicking herd boys shows them eating rice on banana leaves, while on the right they drive the cows home.

Collection credit

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John D. MacDonald

Further reading listed by the museum

• Leach, Linda York. Indian Miniature Paintings and Drawings. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art in cooperation with Indiana University Press, 1986.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.